Iran Rejects Claims Its Seized Oil Tankers Used Iraqi Documents
Iran has dismissed reports that its oil tankers seized by US forces in the Persian Gulf were operating under false Iraqi documentation. The denial came Monday after claims surfaced that the vessels used Iraqi shipping papers, based on remarks attributed to Iraq’s oil minister, Hayan Abdel-Ghani.
Ali-Mohammad Mousavi, Iran’s deputy oil minister for international and commercial affairs, rejected the allegations in an interview with Shana News Agency, which is affiliated with Iran’s Oil Ministry. He insisted that Iran’s oil sales follow international trade protocols and legal standards.
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Mousavi said Abdel-Ghani’s comments were taken out of context and were based on information allegedly provided by US officials. “It is clear that the US officials’ claim was made in line with the ‘illegal and unjustified policy of hurling unfounded accusations against and pressuring the Iranian nation’ and failed to have any basis and credibility,” he said.
US authorities have not officially commented on the specific details of the seized tankers but have long accused Iran of circumventing sanctions through deceptive shipping practices. The incident follows a broader campaign by the United States to curtail Iran’s oil exports. In early February, President Donald Trump signed an executive order tightening sanctions in an effort to block Iran’s access to international oil markets and curb its nuclear program.
Tensions between the US and Iran have escalated in recent years, especially after the Trump administration withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed sweeping sanctions on Tehran.
